04-13-13 The Fear of the Lord is Good

Psalm 34:8-11 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord."

This passage of scripture encourages us to come to the Lord and see the good that He has to offer us and that He is our refuge. If there's a tornado warning out and we would know it was close to us, we would be taking cover in the safest place possible wherever we were at. We would be kind of forced to trust that it really is the safest place possible.  

Same with Father, He is our refuge from the onslaught of evil in the world or in our own hearts.  We trust His goodness and the fact that He is strong enough - well, stronger than just 'strong enough' to keep us safe, if we turn to Him and hide in the Him with Jesus - Colossians 3:3.

He calls us, His 'holy people' because He sees Christ fulfilled in us, even though we may not feel like it. He sees the Blood of Jesus that covers us.  For that reason alone, we should hold Him in Awesome reverence and awe.  When we do that, it becomes easier to obey Him - we actually WANT to obey Him; to do His will - to walk with Him and not fulfill the lust of our own flesh - Galatians 5:16. 

When we do this, we lack for 'no good thing'.  Does that mean we never have hard times? No. I think it means that if we trust Him and honor Him and seek Him that He will always meet our needs... not necessarily our wants, but our needs.  Sometimes, we get those mixed up ;)  To seek Him means to have a hunger for His righteousness, His holiness, His Life made manifest within us.

And you what? We can learn how to fear the Lord. How? Practice. Sometimes, well, most of the time during worship I will get down at least on one knee (not so it's easier to get up) - sometimes both - sometimes flat on my face.  I do that for the most part because that is my way of showing the Lord that I am not on the throne of my life - that He holds that position.  It's MY way of showing honor to my Lord and Who He is in my life - my Supreme Commander, My Warrior King.  I still screw up - and get my place and His place mixed up - but my heart is to serve the One Who served me by giving His Life Blood for me.

Maybe you have others ways that you honor the Lord... maybe you haven't even thought about it... maybe the thought is now in your mind.  I pray it travels to your heart.  

Every Good Thing - The Afters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvKoWUqz43A

04-12-13 Driving Out Fear - Becoming Perfect

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Yep, looks like I'm going to stick with this verse, because... well, I can ;)  And because there's more that I leave the Lord wants tell us (yeah, me included).

We talked about 'no fear in love'.  We talked about 'fear has to do with punishment'.  Today, let's talk about 'perfect love driving out fear and the 'one who fears not being made perfect in love'.

When we picture 'driving out' something, we probably picture something being forcefully pushed out of the way, out of the picture, out of our lives.  I picture, cattle being driven out by the cowboys in those 'old' pictures.  Out their pens into the open field where they can feed.

Hmmmm.... might be a correlation there.  God's perfect love - meaning all those things in 1 Corinthians 13, that include the fact that He will never, ever leave us or forsake us or cause harm to us.  THAT kind of love, if allowed into our hearts will calm us down when we're anxious; it will give us courage when we're afraid; it will make us bold in the face of adversity; it will give us strength when we are weak and give us rest when we are tired.  THAT kind of love DRIVES out fear.  Fear of man, fear of fear, fear of pain, fear of just about anything.
I was on a side of a mountain once and the path was about a foot (no lie, maybe even not that) across winding around this mountain.  It was out a Mt. St. Helens the mountain at the observatory.  Some how, I just can't stay away from mountains - there's something special about them to me.  Majestic, quiet, but something to be conquered.  On the other side was a beautiful lake (from what I was told).  It did have a sign that said 'experienced hikers only'.  I considered myself ok with that.  The path was ok at first.  
Well, got about 1/4 mile in and got to this small path.  No guardrail, just about a 1/2 mile drop, pretty sheer drop on the right.  I was hugging this mountain, like I'd known it all my life... and not looking down.  Got about half-way to the lake and yep, you guessed it - I looked down.  Fear crept in, I tried to trudge on, the pounding in my chest got worse.  I became paralyzed with panic.  I am so glad no one else was there coming the opposite direction.  See, I don't have a fear of heights, I have a fear of falling ;)  I turned around, because if I did get to the lake, I knew I would have to come back!

What happened?  I took my eyes off of the path and looked at my circumstances - then all these thoughts of what could happen floated through my mind.  
Isn't it that what we do with the Lord and our lives?  I could have stopped at any time, closed my eyes and allowed God's love to calm my fears.  He had me - He's invested a lot of time (according to our time) in my life.  It came down to trust.  I chose to give in to fear... and not the love of God.
I will go back and I will conquer that path someday.... hopefully before I get too 'old' to do it ;)

We are made 'perfect in God's love' when we look to Him to DRIVE out the fear of whatever.  We are all those things that He says we are when we trust in His Love - THAT is what it means to be made 'perfect' in His Love.  His Perfection comes out in us.  Who He is comes out in us.... and THROUGH us to others - to a dying world that desperately needs to know His Love and peace; His mercy and grace.  When we allow that, He looks at us like a Master Painter or Potter, steps back and does that little kissing His fingers and throwing His Hand to the air and says 'My Masterpiece'!!!  

Let's begin to let Him clothe us in that Love of His that makes us perfect in Him.

You Never Let Go - Matt Redman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Ya7ryNob4

04-11-13 No Fear In Love

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Ok, so there is a lot of good grain to glean from just this one verse.

"THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE."  Let's think about that for a moment.  Good ahead, look at it again. Sound it out slowly.  

I think it means there is no fear in love.  What is love?  A couple months ago we talked about love - well, I talked about love - didn't really get any comments back in the comments section... but I know I'm not talking to myself ;)  Love is patient, kind, doesn't envy, boast, or is proud.  Doesn't dishonor others or is self-seeking (not out to please man), not easily angered, doesn't keep record of wrongs (ouch), rejoices with truth. It protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres.  And it's greater than faith and hope.

So, given that definition brought to us by 1 Corinthians 13 (located in any New Testament in local bookstore), then if I endeavor to be love - especially in the highlighted areas, then where is room for fear?

It's fear of man vs. fear of God.  Here's the difference, the first time I stood up and taught in front of a large crowd - I was afraid.  I felt like my knees were buckling and my voice was wavering along with my stomach quivering.  After the initial butterflies, I got on a roll, my eyes were on the Lord and my ears were listening for His Voice and I was fine.  I felt all that, nobody saw or heard it.  I was like, wow - I thought I sounded terrible, but the people heard what the Lord wanted them to hear (and I wasn't as bad as I thought). 
Now, let's take the same scenario, but I could feel (discern) a judgmental spirit in the room.  I felt afraid and 
took my eyes and ears off of the Lord and opened the door for the fear of man to step right in.  I lost my train of thought a few times and just barely got through the teaching.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist (no offense to any rocket-scientists out there) to figure out what the difference was.  I looked at and let fear of judgment (punishment, ridicule, man) overtake me because my eyes were on myself, instead of trusting and hoping and honoring others. Instead of looking at the people  through the eyes and ears of THE LORD, I used MY OWN eyes and ears.

Jesus when He was hanging on the Cross, could still look at others and see them through the eyes of God "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing" - Luke 23:34.

How can we not have fear - even when confronted with death?  We take our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and put them on Jesus.  I'm not even going to say focus, because at first, our eyes may not be focused at all... but the longer we look at Jesus, the more our eyes come into focus.

I think I've said before, my life verse is Romans 14:7,8 "For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.  If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord.  So whether we live or we die, we belong to the Lord."  I want to live into that - because THAT is where the Lord wants me to live.

No Fear in Love - Iona
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5OwLHGv4yA

04-10-13 The Fearful Side of Fear

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

Told you we'd come back to this verse.

Why do we seem to fear the things that would help us the most?  Ever notice that?  We go see a specialist or have to have surgery that would help us, and we're afraid (even knowing Jesus is there beside us).  Or going to a physical therapist or any kind of therapist?  Or when we're hurting, why do we shy away from our friends?  Why do we isolate?  Why do we just want to curl up in a little ball and pull the covers over our heads wishing the world would go away?

Or what about God?  Why don't we believe Hebrews 4:16 "Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Why don't I believe that?  Let's be transparent a bit here. I feel pain I try to cover it up or stuff it or hide it in some way or another (y'know, because you can't show it anywhere - gotta have that plastic smile on your face).  Really? 

Our Father Who doesn't just live in 'heaven' in some obscure place - Our Father the One Who is everywhere at all times and watches over us without sleep - and probably not even blinking.  Our Father who knows the number of hairs on our heads, for Pete's sake - THAT Father is there waiting for us to come to Him so that He can comfort us and heal our pain.  

What do I do - high-tail the other way - like the rabbits I saw this morning in our front yard when I let the dog out - or the deer I almost hit going to workout this morning!  

What is THAT all about?  Fear.  What are we afraid of?  What am I afraid of?  I'm afraid of someone touching that pain and setting off the biggest and baddest fireworks display that anyone has ever seen - very colorful - but going from anger to sadness to that well of garbage that the Lord wants to scoop out.  But we're afraid.  WHY?

We don't believe or grasp in any little way how much God, the Creator of the Universe, our Father - REALLY loves us.  If we just understood just a small portion of that love He is always extending towards us, we would run to Him just like a small child would run to her daddy or mommy after falling down or skinning a knee.  We believe that He loved us enough to send Jesus to die for our sins and become our Saviour and Lord.  Why can't we believe He loves us enough heal our inner pain and anguish - to cleanse us from our pasts and make us whole and clean?  

Fear.  I believe we can get into a state of being afraid of being afraid - of being vulnerable - of allowing the Great Physician to come in and do some surgery.  Surgery hurts - at some point.  But don't we think that the One Who created us knows how to fix us?  

Maybe we've been let down too many times by people - but this is God, Father.

Maybe we should give Him a chance - even the tiniest opening into our hearts.  He already knows we're afraid.... so I'm sure He'll be gentle.  I mean He was a gentle shepherd at one time who brought a lost sheep home. 

Maybe we can reach out in hope, even if it's one last time and let Him break the chains of bondage to fear and let Him show us a little more of His love.

   

04-09-13 What Fear of God Is NOT

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

I'll probably come back to this verse at some point.  I felt like the Lord was prompting me to explain what 'The Fear of the Lord' is NOT.  This verse says that worldly fear (the fear that comes the enemy of our souls - i.e. satan and his minions) has to do with punishment.  

Yes, if we do something wrong, there are usually consequences.  Blatantly run a red light and changes are if a police officer is sitting there, he will pull you over and more than likely issue you a citation that costs something.  Sin against God and changes are, since He is ever watching over us, he will send or prompt the Holy Spirit inside of us to convict us of our sin and more than likely bring us to our knees in humble repentance and what does it cost us?  Our pride, ego, wanting to do things our own way; whatever you want to call it.  Take a look at Psalm 121.  Not once, not twice, but FIVE times in eight verses the psalmist mentions God watching - one time saying He never sleeps, but watches over us.  He is all-knowing.

In the Old Testament, sin required a sacrifice - many times an animal, sometimes the 'sinner' was stoned (no, not THAT kind of stoned) with real rocks, one time the earth opened up and swallowed a family.  Even with all this, knowing what the punishment was for sin, they still would sometimes, well, most of the time rebel.  There was always consequences.  But still, it was God's kindness (in not wiping them ALL out like He wanted to a few times - but Moses interceded for them) that led them to repent and follow the God of their Fathers once again.  So, basically for fear of punishment, the Lord made His power known and letting them know He was not happy with their actions, He turned them back to Himself.  But in reality, it was the kind of punishment that was done in love, love requires discipline at times for our wayward selves.  

Only the discipline of the Lord is always done in love and for our best interests, not out of anger and rage - as some of us remember our fathers or mothers disciplining us.  That angry punishment that some of us may have received, even if we didn't do anything wrong, is not the kind of discipline the the Father hands out.  He is not angry with us.  He is not a God of anger towards His children (even when we screw up).  He's not even waiting for us to screw up.  But if we do, there are consequences.... one very huge one.

He required sacrifice for sin in the Old Testament - even when they done away with sacrificing.  In the New Testament, that didn't change.

Tomorrow we will see what The Fear of the Lord is.

Before You Call - Daphne Rademaker (Vineyard) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRb7qPyUVA8&playnext=1&list=PL275254C232891BA1&feature=results_video

04-08-13 The Fear of the Lord

Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

This week we are going to study what it means to have 'the Fear of the Lord'. I believe this is a very important concept for us to to grasp.  I believe the enemy trembles at the fact that if we really understood this concept (we, including myself), that he would tremble in a different kind of fear.  We would understand Who Jesus and Father and Holy Spirit really is/are.... as much as our finite minds can handle.  If even the angels - oh, I'm getting ahead of myself.  That would be a subject for later this week.  Suffice it to say that just understanding the vastness of God is... well, I don't think there is a word for it. 

So, after Saul, because Paul (conversion process usually gives new identity - new creation).  People wanted to kill Paul.  The disciples, got him out of the city and put him safe and sound with them.

The church had a time of peace, no doubt because Saul wasn't going around killing Christians in the name of 'religion'.  The church was strengthened - it grew in numbers.  In numbers, there is strength.  They lived in 'the fear of the Lord' and were encouraged by the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to be with them.  

As a noun, fear - according to Merriam-Webster.com is defined as:

1 a : an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or

   awareness of danger

   b(1) : an instance of this emotion (2) : a state marked by this emotion

2 : anxious concern : solicitude

3 : profound reverence and awe especially toward God

4 : reason for alarm : danger

In my humble estimation number 3 above should be first and all the rest follow.  We have an profound reverence and awe towards God because of Who He Was, Is and forever will Be.

So the definition could be written:

Because of the fact that God is all-powerful and could squash us in a minute, which is turn causes somewhat of an anxious concern when we are in His Presence, because we really do have a reason for alarm - BUT God in His great mercy and love towards us, does not do any of the above.... so we have a profound reverence and awe of God that goes beyond words and actions.

We will go more into this tomorrow.

Daniel 9 - James Block

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BshjXpfNrv8